Sabrina Carpenter - Singular: Act II

The second chapter of Sabrina Carpenter's Singular story, Act II arrived in 2019 with moodier colours and a sharper sense of self.

Carpenter first planned a single album called Singular before splitting it in two because the songs pulled in different lyrical directions. Act II is the more introspective half, wrestling with anxiety, self-reflection and growing up in public, all wrapped in glossy pop and R&B. It was also her final album for Hollywood Records, closing one era just before the next began.

Lead single Pushing 20 struts in with cheeky swagger and a knowing wink at the pressures of young adulthood. In My Bed, produced by Mike Sabath, captures a spiral of overthinking over a skittering beat, and I Can't Stop Me brings in Saweetie over a slick Stargate production. Exhale offers a hushed, vulnerable moment where Carpenter lets her guard down completely.

Nine tracks keep the record lean, with producers including Oak Felder and Johan Carlsson giving each song a polished, late-night sheen. Her vocals are supple and assured, hinting at the effortless charm that would soon take her much further.

Paired with Act I, it completes a neat two-part portrait of an artist on the cusp, and it stands up just as well on its own as an after-dark listen.